Spring game insights are not always trustworthy. A receiver can flash in the favorable split-roster environment and seldom be heard from again.
One of the most reliable takeaways to come out of Oregon's annual Spring Game is that this is a team that will be able to run the football. The Ducks have a deep stable of running backs that go hard and run behind their pads.
That's huge, particularly with a young quarterback. It's way easier to call plays for second and four, way easier to win when the play sheet includes multiple reliable options, the offense can move the chains and has the will to close out a game in the fourth quarter.
On Saturday fans saw Jay Harris power into the end zone for two touchdowns. On one of them he drove through defenders after contact at the 3. Early in the game Jayden Limar burst through a hole on the right side and four seconds later he was in the end zone for a 31-yard touchdown, thanks to a great block from tackle Gernorris Wilson.
Though Makhi Hughes and Noah Whittington had limited touches, each flashed the form that's become their trademark. They initiate contact and run through it. They run with both authority and creativity.
The potential in the Oregon running game runs deep. Dierre Hill gets to the hole quickly. Dink Riggs possesses both power and speed. Whittington seems to have recovered his burst and authority. Hughes ran for 2,776 yards at Tulane, 1982 of the them after contact.
In all the Oregon running back room accounted for 219 yards on the ground in the Spring Game, with at least six runs of over ten yards.
In the meeting room position coach Ra'Shaad Samples lays out the principles of success.
It's the surest formula in the game: Run the football and stop the run.
The run game establishes physicality and balance. It keeps defensive linemen from teeing off on the quarterback. It keeps linebackers and safeties honest. It wears opponents down like a strong right hand.
After the Spring Game the Texas State transfer, right tackle Alex Harkey said,
"You can run behind me, that's what I want. That's what I want my identity to be at the end of the day — I'll run through someone's face."
When the offensive line and the running backs share that mentality, the football team has a foundation. Ultimately, the run game will make your defense better. They'll be tested every day in practice.